Since winning the 88th District House seat in the Connecticut General Assembly during the November 2016 election, state Rep. Josh Elliott has advocated for implementing progressive policies that will help improve Connecticut’s finances and allow it to remain competitive with surrounding states.

During the 2017 regular legislative session, when Elliott served his first term, he spearheaded efforts to legalize the use of recreational marijuana, sought to equalize property tax rates, and advocated for establishing a more equitable tax structure.

As manager of Thyme & Season in Hamden and co-owner of Shelton’s The Common Bond Market – two family-run natural food stores – Elliott recognizes the importance of investing in working families and businesses, both large and small.

In 2017, he supported efforts to establish a paid family and medical leave system that would be funded by employees at a 0.5 percent payroll tax. He also fought to increase Connecticut’s minimum wage.

Elliott, who grew up in Connecticut and attended high school in Hamden, graduated with a B.A. in Sociology from Ithaca College. He later went on to obtain his J.D. at Quinnipiac School of Law.

During the 2017 legislative session, Elliott fought to expand higher education assistance by supporting legislation that would have allowed the “Dreamers” to access institutional aid.

Since 1995, he has volunteered for Guiding Eyes for the Blind from 2015 to 2016, and also worked as an organizer for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.

As a freshman legislator, Elliott sponsored a bill that would enter Connecticut into an agreement among states to elect the President by National Popular Vote. This legislation would ensure every vote counts and would update the state’s delegate system. Elliott also supported a bill that would implement a ranked-choice voting system, which would allow a voter to rank candidates by their preference.

Elliott currently serves as vice chairman of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, and is a member of the Energy and Technology, the Higher Education and Employment Advancement, and the Children committees.